2012 projects

Details: Would prefer a social sciences background but not essential.

• Research for policy and program development
• Engagement of Regional Landcare Facilitators
• Information sharing between Australian Government Land and Coast (AGLC) teams

An investigation into one and possibly more of the following issues:

• Innovative techniques to engage volunteers in Landcare
• Youth participation and ways to engage youth in Landcare
• Investigating the link between Landcare and food security
• National proposed Occupational Health and Safety legislation changes and their affect on Landcare groups  

The investigation will involve desktop research, telephone interviews with Regional Landcare Facilitators, liaison with AGLC staff and other key external stakeholders.

The results will be presented in a written report and could be disseminated to Regional Landcare Facilitators (e.g. best practice examples). Results could also be presented to staff at an AGLC lunchtime seminar. 

Details: The student should have some knowledge of database manipulation (e.g. Excel), Microsoft Word, spatial analysis and GIS software.

A spatial overview of current investment in on-ground pest animal management to inform future decisions about funding priorities.

Using Caring for our Country project information (funding, location of activities, pest animal targeted, number of hectares being managed), the student will develop a series of maps showing where the major investments in pest animal management has occurred and which priority assets have been protected to date.

The outcome expected is a short report, incorporating these maps, that identifies gaps or areas where disparate funding allocations have occurred. This report should highlight some possible options for future funding priorities for the final year of Caring for our Country.

Milestones:
9 January 2011 Agreement on work plan and deliverables
3 February 2011 Distribution maps overlaying type of pest animals being targeted and funding allocated.
10 February 2011 Draft report
17 February 2011 Final report

Details: Commerce/Economics

Identify vehicle management performance of the South East region within the organisation and benchmarked to similar APS agencies. This assists regional (South East) management in determining not only where losses are occurring but also where risk prevention strategies should be implemented to reduce and avoid future losses.

Identify vehicle management performance of the South East region within the organisation and benchmark to similar APS agencies.

1. Examine the Lumley Fleet Claims Summary of the Departmental fleets’ claim performance through each insurance period using current data and identify reporting trends on claim, loss prevention and risk for the regional fleet.  
2. Analyse summary of claims, frequency and cost of risk to identify and initiate the correction of adverse trends.
3. Compare fleet claims performance for respective 12-month insurance periods to the Lumley Best Practice and Benchmarks for similar government agency fleets.  

The Lumley’s report gives a comprehensive analysis of property damage costs as a result of vehicle collisions, but regional management need to consider the personal injury and other hidden costs associated with collisions. Identify and recommend strategies to reduce collision costs to assist management in meeting responsibilities under the OH&S Act and to prevent possible litigation.

Details: Very good excel and data manipulation skills

Support the continued roll out of risk based intervention through the analysis of data and the development of local profiles

The Risk Based Intervention (RBI) approach has now been rolled out at Melbourne Airport and is in the process of being rolled out at the Melbourne Gateway Facility based on national profiles.

The objective of RBI is for all regions to develop local profiles to ensure the appropriate level of risk is applied to various passenger and mail cohorts.

Through the project it is envisaged that the student will be involved in the development of local profiles in the mail and passenger environment through data analysis and interrogation and research to develop statistical evidence to support the roll out of local profiles.

Details: Veterinary Science

Develop national guidelines and checklists for use by regional veterinary officers in preparing certification of horses for export to 6 common export markets

Review the current export protocols for horses to the following 6 common export markets for horses:

• New Zealand, European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and South Africa. 
• Develop a series of guidelines indicating what evidence is required for the Official Veterinarian to certify a horse to that particular export market. These guidelines would include who should provide declarations with respect: properties of origin, property disease freedom declarations, testing and treatments of horses for export and any other elements of the health certification the official veterinarian is attesting to.
• Develop a series of checklists, one for each market, for use by regional veterinary officers when assessing a notice of intention to export horses to ensure that all required documentation is submitted and meets the certification requirements prior to issue of the Veterinary Health Certificate. 

It is expected that the candidate would assess one protocol per week over six weeks, including developing the guidelines and checklist.

During the 6 weeks there will also be opportunity for the candidate to see other aspects of Live Animal Import and Export operations, including visiting the Spotswood Animal Quarantine Station.

This application is supported by the Live Animal Export Program and other Regions.

Details: Economics

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level.

A commodity note for one of ABARES publications

The student will research and write a commodity note for one of the smaller/minor commodities. The completed note will be used in the Australian Commodities publication. Additionally, the student will be given the opportunity to help a commodity analyst research aspects of a major commodity.

Details: Preferable to have a natural resource sciences background. Experience with Excel would be desirable.

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Compilation and analysis of social, economic and/or biophysical data which will contribute to the preparation of Australia’s SOFR 2013.

Contribute to the compilation and analyses of data and information for the preparation of Australia’s SOFR2013.

1. Assist in the research of available sources of information and data relevant to one or more indicators of sustainable forest management (for more information see: http://adl.brs.gov.au/forestsaustralia/framework/index.html).
2. Compile and analyse relevant data for inclusion into the SOFR2013 report.
3. Liaise with state, territory or national coordinators for the preparation of SOFR2013. 

Details: Economics

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Assist in the production of an ABARES publication

The student will be required to research an aspect of the world or Australian economy from a macroeconomic perspective. The student will produce a short paper that will draw upon other ABARES publications.

Details: Economics or Agricultural Economics

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Compiled production costs to agricultural industries that could be adversely affected by identified pests to feed into benefit-cost analyses.

The main activity of the student is to participate in the work of Biosecurity Section on benefit-cost analysis (BCA) of managing pest and disease incursions. The BCA is being undertaken under the national core capacity on BCA which aims to assist the National Biosecurity Committee in making decisions on responding to pest and disease incursions.

The student will access, assemble, analyse and present economic data from various sources to feed into the benefit-cost analysis of response measures to an identified pest. These data include agricultural production at the statistical local area and costs of response measures.

The student will also access or verify information on the nature and magnitude of impacts of identified pests for use in valuing impacts. Sources of information include government, industry and other stakeholders.

The student will also assist in other activities including preparation of reports or briefings on economic implications of biosecurity issues.

Details: For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Selected species information entered into the weed information database.

The student will participate in the development of a weed information database as part of a RIRDC Weeds Portal project. Part of the project is to search the literature for information on individual weeds of national significance (WoNS). This information will be entered into the database to be available through a weeds portal website.

The student will also support other activities (i.e. providing scientific advice) in the Invasive Species section gaining an understanding of the impact and management of weeds and pests on agriculture and the environment.

Details: This project requires a student with a quantitative economics background.

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

A more robust TFP model with updated model documentation.

The TFP model is currently undergoing review and redevelopment, including model validation and testing.

Specific objectives include:
1. testing model sensitivity to key assumptions
2. updating various data inputs
3. speeding up the model computation time
4. documenting the model to a standard suitable for peer review and in-house training.

Under supervision, the student will contribute to this project by assisting with data analysis, economic analysis and reporting, and will be responsible for developing some areas of model documentation.

Details: This project requires a student undertaking an economics degree.

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

A better understanding of the implications of CEWH entry into the water allocation market for the irrigation sector.

The project involves developing an agent based model that includes a mix of irrigators and the CEWH. The model will be used to assess the implications of alternative CEWH trading and carryover rules on irrigation output and profitability and water prices.

Specific objectives include:

1. Specify realistic CEWH and irrigator behaviours
2. Specify alternative institutional trading rules
3. Test different water availability scenarios
4. Apply the model to a case study region (Murrumbidgee)

Under supervision, the student will contribute to this project by assisting with data collection and analysis.

The student will also be involved in drafting sections of the final report.

Details: Final year economics student

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Candidate will assist the Fisheries Economics section achieve its outputs through contributing to a range of projects in the Section. A potential candidate for the DAFF graduate program will be assisted in their learning.

1. Assist in the drafting of the Fishery Outlook 2012 paper
2. Assist in commodity analysis for the March AC publication.
3. Assist Section in drafting content for the next edition of Fishery Status reports
4. Work on the initial stages of a project for the Fishery Economics Section – specific project yet to be determined.

Details: Marine biology, zoology or biological sciences

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Contribute to the development of the first edition of a National Fisheries Status Reports

ABARES currently assesses the status of fish stocks managed by the Australian Government. This provides an independent review of the performance of fisheries management. Over the next 12 months ABARES in collaboration with other jurisdictions is developing a National Fisheries Status Report.

This UVEP project will assist in the development of the first edition of the National Fisheries Status Report. The student will work closely with the project team to compile and analyse data on key species and develop assessments of the status of these species. The student will contribute to drafting elements of the status report. This project provides a unique opportunity to be engaged in developing this first edition, working closely with ABARES scientists and scientists from other agencies.

Details: Survey data analysis and report writing. Some background on invasive animals would be an advantage.

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

A report for the ‘Wild dogs and foxes management. Sheep and cattle landholders survey’.

Wild dogs and their management are important issues for livestock farmers because they have significant financial and social impact. Wild dogs also impact on the environment, as they are predators of other species including endangered native species. The purpose of this nation-wide survey was to measure these impacts and to answer questions about the effectiveness of a variety of control techniques in different situations, ,as well as to provide general insight into specific proposed programs to identify motivators for uptake and the continued use of management technologies.

This project will collate the survey results in a report extracting and highlighting the key findings.

Details: A science background is required. Natural sciences (e.g. environmental, land and water, geology etc.) would be an advantage.

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

The main objective is to develop an understanding of beneficial use at a regional scale, identifying potential areas where CSG water could be used for irrigation and agricultural uses

In order to achieve the objectives above, a biophysical profile will be carried out of the region. The profile will include such aspects as current land use, soil type, topography and water to develop an understanding of current land conditions.
The report will also look at:

• • Explaining the different types of beneficial users
  • Providing background to current legislation, regulation and standards associated with beneficial use
  • Providing a literature review and summary of relevant research
  • Water quality and its implications for beneficial use
  • Summarise estimated volumes of CSG water likely to be available for use
  • What is the current water resources and use in the region?
  • Is there a need/use for additional water i.e. capacity to take?
  • Potential issues with new irrigation prospects i.e drainage, salinity, land management
  • Is there water supply infrastructure already in existence and operation?
  • Can additional water be stored (or used when provided)?
• Provide regional scale maps for contextual purposes
• What other industrial land uses are there in the area i.e coal mining, animal feed operations, cooling tower water, aquaculture, enhanced oil recovery, fire protection etc)

Details: Economics

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Provide greater understanding of the links between agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture contribute around 15 per cent of Australia’s emissions. Future growth in agriculture emissions will depend on production levels, mix of commodities and the uptake of abatement technologies and practice changes. The purpose of this project is to review historical growth in emissions and develop relationships between growth and the drivers listed above.

Milestones

• Develop a historical time series for agricultural emissions at a state and industry level.
• Develop comparable production series.
• Review known practice change.
• Write a short paper linking the emissions growth to its drivers.

Details: For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Delivery of water and/or commodity data for the Monitor website to further support the assessment of climate risks on agricultural productivity. Analysis of data and trends to inform implementation of drought policy

Delivery of water and/or commodity data services into the Monitor website to further support the assessment of climate risks on agricultural productivity. Data sets and web services for consideration could include water allocation history and trends, water trading history and trends, crop yield history and trends.

1. Data research. Research relevant water and/or agricultural commodity statistics at a regional scale and identify those data sets that could be used to support the assessment of climate risks on agriculture.

2. Analysis of data: Determine the spatial and temporal extent of the data sets and their ability to support assessment of agricultural conditions in a region.

3. Identify the ability to readily transpose data into a useful form for web service delivery and the resource implications of future maintenance.

4. Data selection: Identify data sets for web service delivery based on research and analysis.

5. Work with scientists, GIS and web service specialists to determine appropriate delivery mechanism for the datasets (eg maps, graphs, charts)

6. Delivery of new water/commodity web services into the Monitor.

Details: Science/Social science background and/or ability to conduct research of scientific literature

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Improved understanding of the primary barriers to change in dryland and irrigated industries during the last 10 years of below average rainfall and irrigation allocations respectively

Undertake a desk-top review and associated analyses of the barriers to adaptation to climate change by agricultural industries.

Cross-disciplinary literature review. Undertake a review of the literature that exists in various disciplines such as barriers to adoption of new technologies; sustainable development; barriers to policy implementation; risk management, decision making and contingency planning; and vulnerability to climate change.

Industry specific literature and data. Review existing contextual information to help assess the barriers to change. Extract and analyse relevant data for and industry and region (e.g. wheat in sw WA or dairy in north Vict) using ABS, AAGIS and other surveys to provide context, degree of change/adaptation and responsiveness to climate. The data could include biophysical, production, economic costs and social factors influencing decisions.

Prepare a report summarising the findings, identifying known barriers and success factors.

Details: For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have been approached by the Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Societies (QCAS) to support a national study into the social and economic impacts of agricultural shows. On 8 August, Minister Ludwig requested that partnership or resources be explored to undertake this. ABARES was requested to develop a proposal to undertake such a study. This UVEP study will undertake the first phase of this project, in partnership with academics from the University of Canberra already working on this topic.

This project will build on existing research and data on agricultural shows including that referenced by the Federal Council of Agricultural Societies and work currently being conducted at the University of Canberra, looking at the role of agricultural shows in connecting urban and rural communities and in shaping perceptions of rural Australia. The proposed research approach includes a literature review pertaining to agricultural shows, interviews with selected agricultural show society representatives and based on these first two stages, the development and implementation of an online survey for agricultural show societies.

The student will undertake the following activities during the course of the scholarship.

• Project planning meetings with DAFF representatives, Federal Council of Agricultural Societies and QCAS (via phone conference) and University of Canberra partners
• Contribute to literature review, building on existing review undertaken by University of Canberra
• Undertake interviews with approximately 20 representatives from show societies to further establish themes
• Assist in the development of the online survey instrument to target show societies in consultation with partners
• Administer the online survey
• Analysis of results
• Prepare draft report in consultation with partners and client

Because of the short time nature of this scholarship, background tasks to ensure the success of this project will commence prior to the scholarship.

Details: Communications/media/journalism/events or project management

For vacation employment at ABARES you must be entering your third or fourth year of study in economics, science or related discipline, performing at honours level

Assistance with preparation for Conference

The ABARES Outlook Conference is held every year in March and brings together the leading agricultural economists and scientists from Australia and the region.

The department’s communication branch provides communication and media liaison and support for the Conference including publishing conference materials, identifying and preparing traditional and social media releases, running a media centre during the conference, preparing talking points and speeches.

The first step in the project will be preparing an implementation plan to complement the strategic communication and media plan for the Conference.

Once endorsed, the plan will need to be implemented.

Some of the activities will include:

• Identifying contacts
• Liaising with the event coordinator on conference materials
• Arranging the media centre, including AV and IT support for the team
• Preparing a roster for the team at the event
• Drafting media releases (12-15 releases)

Details: A legal background and understanding of legislative processes would be desirable.

To repeal redundant legislative instruments as part of better regulation activities

Week one

• Meet the departmental staff responsible for regulations in a number of divisions.
• Become familiar with the various repeal processes.
• Confirm redundant subordinate legislation with responsible divisions. Expect up to 100 items of redundant legislation.

Weeks two-three

• Determine the signatories to each identified redundant item of subordinate legislation.
• Meet relevant external stakeholders (for example, Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, Attorney-General’s Dept).
• Work with FRLI and departmental staff to draft repeal instruments.
• Arrange for relevant signatories to be available to finalise repeals.  

Weeks four-five

• Begin to finalise repeals.
• Draft information minutes for executive and the minister’s office.  

Week six

• Register the signed repeal instruments with FRLI.

The student may also participate in other aspects of the legislation team’s work and reporting.

Details: Human Resources

• Policy implementation
• Increase number candidates who apply for vacancies in the identified fields

The project
Implementation of clear guidelines and procedures surrounding placements for University students undertaking work experience.

The identified work areas to develop the policy around are as follows:

• Human Resources
• Plant Pathology
• Entomology
• Veterinary

Research to be undertaken through current AQIS policies and procedures around conditions of employment, recruitment and selection, and any issues identified with employment within the Commonwealth. Building a rapport and network on behalf of DAFF/AQIS with various Universities that offer degrees in the identified areas.

The successful candidate will gain insight into AQIS Operations, business practices including human resources, recruitment & selection, employee relations.

In addition the candidate will further develop skills in relation to project management including planning, research and analysis.

Milestones

Week 1
Orientation. Introduction and familiarisation of DAFF/AQIS.

Weeks 2-4
Research and understanding of DAFF/AQIS, and identified work areas and project management. Plan and develop strategies.

Weeks 5-6
Develop a policy to be presented to the regional leadership group for endorsement and consideration for implementation in the region.